Marenitsa, Feb-Mar, the coming of spring is celebrated by wearing red and white tassels, throughout the city
St Trifon's Day, 14 Feb, a vine growing and wine making festival, villages outside the city
Liberation Day, 3 Mar, national holiday celebrating liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878, throughout the city
Sofia International Film Festival, Mar, 10-day showcase of films from around the world
Orthodox Easter, Mar-Apr, throughout the city
Labour Day, 1 May, national holiday, throughout the city
St George's Day, 6 May, Orthodox festival and official holiday, also agricultural celebration heralding the end of spring and beginning of summer, throughout the city
Bulgarian Culture and Slavonic Script Day, 24 May, national holiday honouring Saints Cyril and Methodius for devising the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet, throughout the city
Festival of European Co-productions, early Jun, international annual non-competitive feature film festival, Lumière Cinema, NDK
Birthday of St John of Rila, 18 Aug, Rila Monastery
Folk Music Festival, first weekend Aug, Koprivshtitsa
Day of Unification, 6 Sep, national holiday, throughout the city
Independence Day, national holiday, 22 Sep, throughout the city
Feast Day of St John of Rila, 19 Oct, Rila Monastery
Kinomania, Nov, three-week film festival, showing the newest and best international and Bulgarian films, NDK
St Nicholas' Day, 12 Dec, throughout the city
Christmas, 25-26 Dec, national holiday - most families celebrate Christmas on 25 Dec, although traditional Orthodox Christmas is 7 Jan, throughout the city
New Year's Eve, 31 Dec, festivities, throughout the city